Volvo 850 Saloon (1992 - 1997) 2.0 S (126bhp) 4d Auto (1995/N) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I don't tend to buy cars for the image they portray because the car is for me and nobody else. But I think most people see it as boring.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

My friends call me an old man (I'm 19), my Mum likes that it has lots of airbags, my Dad says that it costs too much to run, my Sister preferred my old Corsa and everyone else is surprised that I can get insured on one, when in actuality it costs me the same to insure as a Corsa 1.2.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Well, I would based on the fact that it's a nice car, but it's been a little disappointing with the many niggly things that have gone wrong on it and I'm finding it a bit of a pain.

What are you likely to buy next?

No idea, something really cheap probably.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£1,295

When did you buy the car?

January 2007

Did you get a good deal and why?

It was a fair deal. The car was in immaculate condition and the trader that I bought it from sold it having just had a full 12 months MOT, six months RFL, a cambelt service by Volvo, an automatic gearbox fluid change, four new Toyo T1-S tyres and new number plates because I didn't like the old ones.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I've wanted one for an age and I liked the specification of this particular example.

What was the dealer like?

Very polite if a little slow.

What's it like to drive?

Not exactly thrilling, but it grips well and is just about quick enough to be worth it's salt. Extremely comfortable on the motorway.

What's it like to park?

Easy. Although it's big you can see all four corners, the electric mirrors make parallel parking easy and the power steering is a good compromise between feel at speed and lightness when driving slowly.

Have you had any problems with the car?

There's an annoying rattle that I can't find. Thermostat needed replacing. There's a flat spot I can't seem to fix no matter what I do. Bulbs keep going here and there.

What's most practical about your car?

It's got an immense boot, the seats fold, it's got an integral booster seat in the rear. Practicality is what it's built for. I managed to fit a full Peugeot 307 exhaust system in the car with four people riding comfortably and luggage in the boot, thanks to the little ski flap thing.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The heated seats are wonderful when driving home at night. The only thing it lacks that I would like is a CD player, but I just plug my iPod in through a cassette adaptor thingy.